taken of Spanish women, of whom there are now many here. So great
was their need that some were cared for in a hospital maintained
by La Misericordia for the care of slaves. God aroused the zeal
of a conquistador of this country, by name Joan Ximenes del Pino;
and, encouraged by his own zeal, by suitable measures he bought a
building next to the royal hospital for the Spaniards, which could
be connected with the latter, and which he has given to the hospital
for this purpose, that women may be cared for in it. It cost him five
thousand pesos; and besides this he assumed the expense of putting it
into a proper state for this purpose, with which intent he placed in
my care a sum of money which is being spent. In view of the fact that
the expense is increasing, the said hospital will require some grant
of aid. I beg your Majesty to give it, for all these institutions
are under your protection.

The hospital of the Spaniards also suffers from inadequate service,
for lack of attendants; and it is necessary for your Majesty to provide
a remedy, which can best be done by sending for this purpose brethren
of St. John of God; [28] for although Franciscan friars live there
they attend only to the administration of the sacraments, and of
everything else there is a lack. [29]

Since men here are placed in danger they are continually giving
out, and when any of them die others take under their guardianship
the children of those who are left. Sometimes the guardians give
sufficient bonds, and sometimes not; but with the progress of time
these cases have grown steadily worse, and the poor minors lose their
estates. There are many thousands of ducados in the hands of guardians;
and although the alcaldes-in-ordinary have tried to make them render
accounts, no accounts have ever been finished during the three years
since they were begun, for they are all banded together. This is a
wretched state of affairs; hence, in order to correct this, it will be
well for your Majesty to give commands that the Audiencia shall take
charge of this matter. It should be committed to one auditor, for it
can be done in no other way. This community suffers from this evil.

The governor, Don Pedro de Acuna, being obliged to be absent from the
city on the expedition to Maluco, appointed as his lieutenant in the
governorship and in matters of war the licentiate Christoval Tellez
de Almacan, second auditor of this Audiencia. As soon as the governor
left the